Lisa Keighley - Headteacher
Hello and welcome to Blakehill Primary School.
I have worked at Blakehill since 2000 and I am incredibly proud to lead such a wonderful school. I am part of a fantastic team that is committed to providing a quality education to our children and their families.
During my time at Blakehill Primary School, I have taught in every year group, working with children of all ages and stages of development. I have led numerous curriculum areas including Science and Mathematics and gained leadership experience in my roles as phase leader, assistant headteacher and Head of School.
Teaching and leadership for me is about inspiring and empowering others; providing opportunities to help others develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to lead happy and successful lives both now and in the future. I value the partnerships with pupils, their parents, staff and Governors that we have at Blakehill and know that this is key to the successes that our pupils continue to achieve.
I am highly dedicated to this great school of ours and enjoy the excitement, the challenges and the successes that we encounter every day. Ensuring that all children at Blakehill have enjoyable and excellent learning that are both memorable and empowering is central to my vision for the school.
Helen Hall - Assistant Headteacher
I have been the Assistant Head at Blakehill since September 2015 but I have worked here at Blakehill for many years now in all classes from Reception to Year 6! Some people ask me why I have worked at the same school for so long and the answer is simple: because it’s Blakehill! I love everything about this school and its community. The children are the most incredible, enthusiastic learners. The staff are hard-working and inspiring and the parents are supportive and friendly (I’ve been here so long I taught some of them!).
In my role as Assistant Headteacher, I work with our wonderful staff to create a place that children enjoy coming to, where they develop a love for learning and find something that they can be passionate about as they move into later life.
I love the fact that at Blakehill we work very hard to create a team that supports each child in becoming the best that they can be. Visitors always comment on the strength of our staff team and their shared commitment to help every child in school achieve their best.
I am proud to work at Blakehill and hope to be here for many more years to come!
Rachel Gould - Assistant Headteacher
I began my Blakehill journey in 2012 when I started as a Year 1 teacher. Since then I have worked in all year groups across both key stages and enjoyed every minute of it! This is the second school that I have taught in but one I wish to stay at for years to come. The school feels like a second to family to me and I enjoy everyday that I spend here. I love everything about this school and its community: the child and the parents are a pleasure to work with. No matter which year group that have worked in, the children have been hard working and enthusiastic to learn.
In my role as Assistant Headteacher and lead of Special Educational Needs and Pastoral Care, I work with our wonderful staff to create a place that children enjoy coming to, where they develop a love for learning, feel safe and valued. I work with a large number of families and offer support to both children and their parents.
We have developed a fantastic team in SEN and Pastoral care where I get to work alongside other adults who share the same passion as myself for supporting our families and children who need additional support or provision.
Catherine Scott - KS1 and EYFS Leader
I have been working at Blakehill in Year 2 since 2010 and most of my teaching career has been in Key Stage 1. I am Key Stage One Leader and have also recently become Early Years Leader, something that I have been very excited about!
I am a creative person and enjoy finding new ways to help children learn. I love working at Blakehill because the children are so enthusiastic and keen to learn. We are a fantastic team here and we are committed to doing our very best for the children every day to ensure that they achieve their full potential. In my role on the Senior Leadership Team, I am really looking forward to building on our strengths, being a part of creating a learning environment that is exciting, challenging, safe and happy and being the best school that we can be!
Rehana Rashid - Lower KS2 Leader
My amazing journey started on September 2010 as a newly qualified teacher. Since then I have loved every second of being a valuable member of the Blakehill community and hope to stay here for many years to come .
I believe the uniqueness of Blakehill is its embedded mission statement of ' together we can'. It underpins every aspect of the school from the learning culture to daily interactions for all children, staff and parents. I am extremely proud to be part of a dedicated team that delivers high quality teaching to inspire and stimulate our children's experiences and help them grow as individuals. I consider our children the most valuable and greatest asset. They are resilient and optimistic in all aspects of school life through their attitudes and curious nature.
I am very lucky for the opportunity to teach Reception and Year 1 for 3 years and now I am embarking on the next chapter in successful leading Lower Key Stage 2.
Jamie Nicklin - Upper KS2 Leader
The first thing that I noticed when I entered Blakehill Primary School was the welcoming atmosphere and the excellent team spirit amongst the teaching team. The staff know their students well and provide a wonderful experience.
Prior to Blakehill, I taught in three other primary schools, and before that I worked as a civil servant for the Department of Health – helping to implement government policies in the NHS. As a teacher, I have taught in every year group with a specialism in PE. I am a keen runner – if you are hiking in the Dales, you may see me run past! These experiences have helped me to become an open-minded and well-rounded teacher who is ready for any challenge.
I am very excited to be upper Key Stage Two Phase Leader. I became a primary school teacher because I wanted to make a difference and I can do this by giving every child the best possible educational opportunity. Learning in school should be fun, interesting and linked to real life experiences so that children are ready for the next challenges in life. I am determined to make those last two years at Blakehill a brilliant time that will stay with the children through high school and beyond.
Kirstie Gardner - KS1 Leader
I began my teaching journey at Blakehill ten years ago and knew this was my home! I first joined Blakehill as a student teacher and spent two years training with many amazing teachers who had taught me many endless skills of being a teacher. Fortunately, I secured a job at Blakehill after graduating and have stayed here ever since! Blakehill is a school like no other; one big family whereby everyone works together to looks after one another!
I truly believe that children should be at the heart of everything we do and this is our aim at Blakehill! The children's voices are at the forefront of everything we do at Blakehill to make our school even better!
Over the last ten years, I have taught from Reception - Year 3 and I have loved teaching in all year groups. In my new role as Key Stage One Phase Leader, my aim is to ensure all children are happy, safe and thriving in all areas of school life and continue to contribute to making Blakehill a happy place to be! The foundations we build on in Key Stage One helps shape a child for their later years at Blakehill and beyond. Our aim is to inspire children and enable them to reach their potential in all areas of the curriculum. I look forward to working with you all as you watch your child blossom at Blakehill.